THALIAN HALL CINEMA · SPECIAL EVENT
Saltwater Cinema
Stories from the Southern Coast
Join us at Thalian Hall for a special double feature celebrating the people, traditions, and waterways that define sustainable seafood in the South. Through stories of oyster farmers, wild harvesters, chefs, and coastal communities, these films offer an intimate look at where our seafood comes from—and the people working to preserve these traditions for generations to come.
The evening begins with ShellBound: An Anthology of Southern Oyster Culture, a documentary that pulls back the curtain on oysters in the American South, from the farmers who cultivate them to the chefs who bring them to the table. Discover the traditions, challenges, and communities shaping the region’s oyster industry today. The documentary was produced by The Local Palate magazine and BLK ELK supported by Oyster South.
Next, enjoy an episode from a collection of short documentaries originally produced for the Emmy Award-winning series My Home, NC, featuring Ana Shellem, Chef Dean Neff, and Chef Ricky Moore. From wild harvesting in North Carolina’s marshes and waterways to the chefs who transform that bounty in their kitchens, the films celebrate the people, places, and practices behind the state’s distinctive coastal food culture.
The event will kick off at 5:30pm featuring a reception with freshly shucked oysters from six Southern oyster farmers and a wine and beer bar included in your ticket. The double feature documentary screening will begin at 6:30pm, followed by a post-screening conversation with Chef Dean Neff, Seabird; oyster farmer Conor MacNair, N. Sea Oyster Co.; shellfish forager Ana Shellem, Shellem Seafood; Chef Ricky Moore, Saltbox Seafood Joint; and filmmaker Heather Burgiss. The conversation will be moderated by Erin Byers Murray, The Local Palate magazine.
Proceeds from this event will benefit nonprofits: Cape Fear River Watch, an organization that works to protect and improve the water quality of the Cape Fear River Basin for all people through education, advocacy, and action; and Oyster South, an organization that connects communities and provides resources to oyster growers, fostering vibrant local communities, safeguarding clean aquatic environments, and honoring the rich culinary traditions of the American South.
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Thalian Hall
Price: $60
Thalian Hall Cinema is a series of first-run and repertory wide release, independent, foreign, documentary, and other notable films presented by Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts.
